BEN FODEN is hell-bent on winning his place on the British Lions tour to Australia next summer – and proving Wales fans wrong.

Foden admits that he keeps reading on his Twitter feed that Lions and Wales boss Warren Gatland is going to pick Leigh Halfpenny for the series against Australia starting in June.

But the England man is determined to prove them wrong and force Gatland to make him the starting full-back Down Under.

Foden, 27, missed England’s autumn international programme with a serious ankle injury but is now back in action and ready to find his best form. He knows that Gatland will be paying close attention to the Six Nations which gets under way when England entertain Scotland at Twickenham on February 2.

And he hopes his versatility having played for England at full-back and wing will count when Gatland and his coaching team select their squad. “I’ve already had many tweets saying ‘you are not going and it’s Leigh Halfpenny for me’. There are a lot of good full-backs out there at the moment who are playing very well.

“But it helps to get on a Lions tour if you are versatile and can operate in different positions. There’s only a limited squad that goes out there and a lot of games to get through. I’d play anywhere, No 15 or 13 or nine!”

Foden, who faces competition from Halfpenny and Ireland’s Rob Kearney, wasn’t part of the last Lions tour to South Africa four years ago.

He says, however, that being selected for this tour to Australia would be a massive honour and would invoke memories of watching documentaries with his dad Rob.

He said: “I remember watching the old videos of Jeremy Guscott dropping that goal to beat South Africa in 1997. Plus all the banter and stories that come back from those sorts of trips which stay with you for a lifetime.

Foden is determined to prove them wrong and force Gatland to make him the starting full-back Down Under

“I also remember sitting with my dad to watch the behind-the-scenes documentary from that tour with the likes of John Bentley, Keith Wood and the rest of them.

“I know my dad would be the proudest man in the world if I could go on a Lions tour and make a Test debut. I’m pretty sure he would be chuffed with me,” he said.

That decision now rests with his performances and how Gatland rates him, but Foden might also try the personal approach.

He said: “I don’t know Warren Gatland but maybe I should give him a phone call and have a little chat.

“Everyone wants to be picked for the Lions. Warren Gatland says it’s a clean slate for every player. He will pick guys on performance and if they are playing well in the Premiership as well as in the internationals.”

Foden’s focus now is playing his heart out for Northampton – and making Gatland’s decision an easy one. He added: “I’ve got to get my head down and perform at Franklin’s Gardens. Then, all being well, I might get the nod.”